What Your Students' Body Language Is Telling You (and How to Respond)

By Mary Saylor, M. Ed. 

Do you pay attention to your students' body language and facial expressions when they're in your classroom? Here's why you should.  

The National Center for Biotechnology Information argues that when students are experiencing positive emotions, they tend to learn better (The Influence of Academic Emotions on Learning Effects: A Systematic Review). That's no surprise to any experienced teacher who knows that when kids are relaxed and happy, they do better in class. 

So how do you know if your students are happy, and what can you do about it if they're not? Author Kendra Cherry, MSEd, argues that body language “may account for 60-65% of all communication” (Understanding Body Language and Facial Expression). In other words, your students are constantly giving you silent clues about what they're thinking and feeling. When you learn to read those clues, you can respond to them in the right way. 

Here are 3 critical nonverbal cues to watch for in your students, and some specific strategies to know how to respond to each. 

1. Eye Direction. Pay attention to where their eyes are looking. If their eyes are NOT directed at the learning materials, your students may be feeling distracted or bored. Try these strategies to get them re-energized and engaged: 

       Task, not ask. When you're holding a class discussion, rather than asking one student to verbally respond, ask ALL of your students to physically respond. They could point, stand, underline, circle, star… The simplest tasks can make a huuuuge difference.

One task that you could give every day to practice directing their eyes AND their attention where you want it to go is to "task" them to double check their name.  Instead of asking, “Did you put your name on your paper?” task them with “Put a star next to your name at the top of the page.” This way, every student has to physically draw their eyes to the location you're directing them to in order to complete the task.

Once you know you have their attention, redirect their eyes to the next task by pointing to the next set of instructions on the board and "task" them to write down the first (or fifth) word of the next activity that you want them to begin.

       Use an attention-getter. Maybe you started teaching before their brains were tuned in. Use specific attention getters such as, “We're moving on in 5-4-3-2-1” as a regular part of your teaching practices. If students have been working through an activity that is a little more loud such as a group project, adjust the attention-getter accordingly. Try something like, "If you can hear me, clap once. If you can hear me clap twice. If you can hear me, clap three times." Repeat as needed until you notice that the majority of eyes are directed where you want them. 

2. Shoulder Poster. If your students are slumped in their seats with their heads down or leaning on their hands, they may be feeling tired, bored, or stressed about something. Try this: 

     If one student is demonstrated shoulders that are hunched and closing in, ask that specific student to help you. They could hand out papers, sharpen some pencils, get a book off of your desk - anything to get them up and moving for a sec. 

      Do a whole-group movement activity. If you notice several students slumped in their seats, the class may be feeling bored or tired and may benefit from getting up and moving for a bit. Throw in a quick “Stand up if you can identify the key word in question 3,” or have them pair/share with someone across the room rather than next to them. Physical movement is one of the best ways to increase positive emotions. 

3. Hand gestures and arm movement. Hands and arms are one of the biggest clues about emotions. Clenched fists, hands that are touching the face (especially covering the mouth), or arms that are closed over a vital organ are almost always a stress signal. 

      Check that your student is okay. Find a quiet moment to do a private whisper check-in. Say something like, “You seem stressed. Everything okay?” Often just knowing that someone sees them and cares enough to ask can help calm a student down. 

     Keep things calm and quiet. If you have a student who is genuinely stressing out, it might not be the best time for that super fun Chicken Wars vocab review. 

     Allow breaks as needed. If it's the only day that you can fit that review in, be willing to allow your stressed student to work quietly in the back corner or in the hallway for a bit. 

I like to keep visual reminders around my room, so I made this super-cute PDF reminder of these strategies for myself. Want a copy? Click HERE for the Nonverbal Cues and Responses PDF. There's even a fun bonus “Power Postures" page that you could share with your students. 

One last thought. More important even then their academic success, your students' body language might be a silent cry for help in other areas too. 

I have a student who, from the moment she crossed my doorway on day one has been signaling stress and anger. She's also been suuuper aggressive and has said a lot of snarky comments during class. “Ummm… Mrs. Saylor, I just don't NEED this today! This is SOOO lame!” 

It's been really tough not to match her anger for anger, but I've tried to be calm and assertive, rather than mad. Then she came to me during our Holocaust unit. 

She told me that she'd just read a scene where some guards were shooting weapons, and THEN she said, “My dad shot himself a few years ago, and I was the one who found him. I just don't know if I can finish reading this book.” 

No wonder she was struggling so much. Wouldn't you? 

I quickly gave her a different option to read, and I made sure to let our school counselor know what had happened so that she could offer some extra help.

Your students might not ever verbally tell you why they're feeling a certain way, but learning to read their body language cues can help you understand what they're feeling, which can help you help them feel a little happier and have a little more success in your classroom. 

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